Suspenders.



No. 765,186. PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

W. J. MARTENS.

SUSPENDERS.

Patented July 19, 1904.

UNITE STATES PATENT" OFFIC WILLIAM J. MARTENS, OF SCHLESVVIG, IOWA.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,186, date'd'July 19, 1904 Application filed March 1'7, 1904. Serial No. 198,614. (No model.)

To all whom it may-concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MARTENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schleswig, in the county of Crawford and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspenders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to suspenders; and it consists of certain novel features of combination and construction of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

The prime object of my invention, among others, is to provide compensating devices whereby the strain or load placed upon the suspenders will be equalized or properly distributed, whereby the wearing parts of my suspenders will be conserved and protected.

A further object of my invention is to provide suspenders for sustaining the weight placed thereon in such a way as to attain great comfort and ease from the use thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in Which Figure 1 shows my invention complete ready for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing one of the front members separated from the other part. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear compensating devices for equalizing and distributing the strain placed thereon incident to their use.

In order to conveniently refer to the various details of my invention and the cooperating parts, numerals will be employed, the same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the several views.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 designates the main or strap sections of my suspenders, the same being designed to extend over the shoulders of the wearer, and each is provided at its rear end with the reducing section 2, preferably of leather or other flexible and reinforcing material 3. The sections 2 are joined to the upper ends of the members 3 and4, which are preferably double and interlaced with or overlap each other, as more fully shown in Fig. 3, the lowerends of the members 3 and 4 being formedin a loop. which extends through a slot in theeye-plates 5 and 6, the lower ends of saidzeye-plates being provided with an aperture 7, whicharebrought into registration with'the. apertures 8 in the normally horizontal bars 9, there being two of said bars, which are designed to. receive between them the apertured endsof the eyeplates 5 and also the upper endsof the eyeplates 10, which are constructed substantially in the same manner as the eye-platesv 5 and 6, above referred to. The eye-plates 10 are provided with a slot in their lower ends to receive the upper ends of the loops 11 and 12, the lower ends of said loops being secured together, as by stitching, and have formed'therein the buttonhole-slot 13. The loop members 11 and 12 are also interlaced or extended through each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and it is obvious that when suitable securing-rivets 14 are passed through the registering apertures 8 and through the registering apertures in the eye-plates 5, 6, and 10, said parts will be reliably though pivotally secured together, thereby presenting a very yielding movement of all the parts and at the same time provide for the crossing of the memhere 3 and 4, which are also preferably doubled and are interlaced or extended through each other, as fully shown in Fig. 3, thereby allowing free and unimpeded play of the parts and at the same time crossing the rear part of the suspenders and delivering the load from one shoulder to a point almost directly below the other shoulder.

The forward ends of the suspenders or main sections 1 are looped upon themselves and are provided with an adj usting-clamp 15,whereby the length of the main sections may be adjusted as desired. The looped portions of the sections 1 are extended through a suitable slot in the front eye-plate 16, which is pivotally secured between the curved plates 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the outer ends of said plates receiving between them the pivoted members or eye-plates 18. The lower ends of the eye-plates 18 are provided with asuitable IOO ' ferred combination and construction of'parts' deemednecessary 1n*-carrying out my 1n'ven-- t 1on I'wislrto-comprehend"such equivalentsslot to receive the upper looped ends of the members 19, the lower ends of which are formed with abuttonhole 20, as is common. Inasmuch as the eye-plates 16 are thus placed in pivotal connection with the eye-plates 18 through the mediation of the parallel curved bars 17 and therive ts 21,-saidparts are left thus disposed, so that they may freely conform to all the varying movements of the body and at all times equalize or distribute the-load placed upon the front buttons.

The bars 9 and the curved members 17 may be constructed 'of any preferred material which will possess a proper degree of rigidity and strength to meet the requirements, While the'otherparts "may be fashioned from any I desired flexible material deemed suitable for the purp'0se,and While I have described the preandsubstitutes as may beregardedas falling fairly within the-scope of my invention.

1 Believing that theconstruction and manner' of-using-my invention have thus been made clearly apparent, further description is d ee med unnecessary.

What I'claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent; is

The herein-described suspenders comprising the main sections 1 having upon their rear ends the looped extensions 3 and 1; eye-plates 5 and 6 having apertured ends; loop members 11 and 12 having apertured eye-plates 10; rigid members or bars 9 and means to secure said 'bars and apertured'eye-plates in pivotal relationship to each other, said loop members 11 and 12 being provided with suitable slots atth'eir lower ends while the members 3 and 1 are interlaced or extended through each other, in combination with eye-plates 16 for the forward ends of the members 1; curved rigid members 1 7' pivotally receiving between them said eye-plates 16; interlaced loop members 19 having slots in their lower ends and provided with eye-plates 18 at their upper ends-;in pivotal engagement with the ends of thecurved members 17 and I means to adjust the length of the'main sections 1 all combined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimonywhereof Ihavesigned my name 'to' this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM JJ'MARTENS. Witnesses:

I O. L. RUSSELL, "B. S. ANDRESEN. 

